Crimson Cup Welcomes The Coffee Shelf in Chapin, South Carolina to its Community of Independent Coffee Houses

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The Coffee Shelf in Chapin, South Carolina has joined the community of independent coffee houses, cafes and bakeries supported by Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea. The Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster was named 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine, in part for its work in helping entrepreneurs like Jerry Caldwell learn how to open a coffee shop.

Jerry Caldwell, owner of The Coffee Shelf in Chapin, SC

Training entrepreneurs like Jerry to create unique, independent coffee shops is a big part of our success as a specialty coffee roaster and coffee franchise alternative.

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Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, Roast magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year, recently welcomed The Coffee Shelf to the growing community of independent coffee houses, cafés and bakeries that serve Crimson Cup beverages. Located at 130 Amicks Ferry Rd. in the lakefront community of Chapin, South Carolina, the store celebrated its grand opening on May 10.

“I wanted to create a warm and relaxing setting for our community while combining my twin passion for books and coffee,” said Coffee Shelf Owner Jerry Caldwell. Customers can page through the latest bestsellers, cookbooks, comic books and more while enjoying hot, iced and frozen espresso-based drinks, including lattes, mochas and cappuccinos. Fresh-baked muffins, pastries and cookies round out the menu.

“We’re excited to welcome The Coffee Shelf to the Crimson Cup community,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “Training entrepreneurs like Jerry to create unique, independent coffee shops is a big part of our success as a specialty coffee roaster and coffee franchise alternative.”

Caldwell retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 20 years as helicopter pilot. After working as a sales person in the aircraft industry for a number of years, he decided to take on the challenge of becoming his own boss.

“As a coffee roaster and coffee franchise alternative, Crimson Cup believes our success is based in our customers’ success,” Ubert said. “As a result, we support coffee shop owners at every step – from scouting a great location and writing a coffee shop business plan to choosing equipment, hiring staff and providing comprehensive training and marketing support.”

In client surveys, Crimson Cup has found that 85 percent of coffee-shop customers completing the 7 Steps to Success training program have been in business for five years or longer. By comparison, federal government statistics show that half of all new restaurants – including independent coffee shops – close within three years of opening.

Caldwell said he chose Crimson Cup because of the roaster’s outstanding coffee and its Friend2Farmer direct trade program, which supports small coffee farmers and their communities by paying a higher-than-market price for their coffee and investing in education and other initiatives. He plans to add brew bar features in the future so that the shop can offer hand-poured craft coffees from around the world.

In the weeks since The Coffee Shelf first opened its doors in April, it has become a fixture in the local community. "I want this to be a place where people go and remember they've been here," Caldwell said. An open seating area with plenty of chairs invites customers to sit and enjoy their favorite books and beverages. The Coffee Shelf also has space for book clubs and book-signing events, and Caldwell plans to hold poetry slams and music nights.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced specialty and craft coffee in small batches. The company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses through its coffee franchise alternative program, which includes a coffee shop business plan. Crimson Cup coffee is available through a community of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 29 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the company’s own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.